Fido's Hygeine
Bathing your Dog - Without the Tears
Whether you have 1 dog or 4 (like me), bath time for the pooch(es) can take on a circus-like atmosphere. Especially if the breed is known to be very active (I have JRTs 5, 2, 1 & 1 yrs old). Here's some tips on how this day goes off without a hitch once a month (we live in red dirt country).
1. SURPRISE! We make that day a special day for those 4-legged
members of our family. My husband & I spend
time
with our dogs everyday but when the day comes
to
clean em up, they get extra special treats, a
lot
more time & attention.
2. STAY ON SCHEDULE. In our house, it's the 1st Friday of the
month. Friday for a couple
of reasons.
Usually a light work day
due to being the
end of the work week & you
should have
more energy.
3. ACTIVITY PLANNING. Much like putting together a child's
birthday party, eventful
is the key to
success but the end goal
here are pets
that are too tuckered to
tangle with you
over the issue of their
lack of hygiene.
We devote 1/2 of the day
to playing
fetch, chasing bubbles,
swimming or
chasing the hose stream
& tripping
around the yard picking
up the little
pieces of a once whole
toy. And they
get tidbits of a
favorite goody. After
a good few or more hours
we head in to
sweep the bathroom
commencing the
days fun by duelling the
vacuum hose
extension, it dared to
invade their area
& take the stockpile
provision of hair
they spread along the
baseboards. But
you should never let
children do this
as most vacuum suction
is very
strong which could
suffocate the
animal &/or kill your
pet, especially
smaller pets. And
doing this may
make it difficult for
you to get chores
done if they won't
stop attacking the
machine.
4. COME & GET IT! A quick dance & then they eat. Warming their food
is not just better for their digestive
system but it
also works the same as warmed milk does for
insomnia. Thanksgiving too, if you're
serving
turkey. I get a show in their anticipation
of dinner.
It's an adaptation of River Dancing but
they add in
some whimpering, jumping straight up in the
air, &
an occasional anxiety yipe. I get into the
act too.
5. POTTY BREAK. After making sure each others bowls are thoroughly
cleaned of any remaining morsels it's outside
to take
care of business, you know what lukewarm water
does
to us.
6. MAIN EVENT. Round up all those attending the de-grubbing of the
dirt ball gang in the bathroom or where ever
you
perform this task. Make sure they have things
to chew
on & fiddle with while waiting their turn or
while you
get the water just right. I find it easier if
I sit on the
side of the tub with my feet helping to control
urges
to flee the scene. Which won't be too strong
since it
was a busy afternoon with no nap & a full
belly. Wrap
each one up in a clean, dry towel paying
particular
attention to the feet, head, ears, chest &
around the
tail. Sending em off with a big hug & smooch,
NEXT!
It's on to another pooped pooch.
7. POTTY BREAK. Once all done & every buddy is a sparkling version of
it's previous mud rolling self, it's a good
idea to take
your pet(s) out again to do their business.
You will
notice a depleted energy level in your pet,
adjust the
activities accordingly depending on how you
pet(s)
walk outside & how long they take. **Our lot of hooligans will then snooze while we take care of our
nutritional needs & then have a snack later. Don't be alarmed if you find
yourself up the next morning with no company or your pet(s) seems to be slow
or worn out. Just like human kids, a big day today for them means a more
peaceful tomorrow for you. We get our household chores done so much quicker
the next morning because they sleep in & lay around catching up on rest.
-- CeCelia Barnes
home
- submit - search
- humor - shop
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying -- Woody Allen
